Column: DBA working to refine Brewers’ Festival

Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying: “You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.”

The Colorado Brewers’ Festival draws plenty of comments these days, especially on social media. This year I attended my 10th Brewfest and have volunteered at all but two. I’ve observed the event’s evolution and changes made by the Downtown Business Association.

When you execute an event as large as this, you’re bound to make a few people unhappy. But I think what the DBA accomplishes is incredible. It seems a few posters on social media don’t agree.

When I came to town in 2005, the Brewers’ Festival was staged in the heart of downtown. Over the next few years, conflicts between downtown businesses and attendees occurred. A change was necessary.

A new format was introduced, and the festival moved to Civic Center Park. An event that once drew the ire of businesses and residents has since evolved into one that this year hosted zero complaints from neighbors and no police incidents.

I’ve said before — events and festivals are a tricky business. If you overprepare and attendance is poor, you lose your shirt. Underprepare and you risk disappointing those who come. Attendance at the Brewers’ Festival this year was double that of 2013, so there was some waiting in line.

The Colorado Brewers’ Festival has become a tradition not just in Fort Collins, but nationally. It is one of the five oldest beer festivals in the nation, and it continually receives attention from media across the country. When the event started, there were only a handful of such beer events. Now there are hundreds.

As someone who works regularly with the DBA, I can attest to the dedication these folks put into this and other events they produce. They strive for improvement and refinement, as do the hundreds of volunteers who give their time to these events.

Our DBA is unique in that it receives little public funding, only small grants. Most downtown event organizations, if not all, are supported with a form of taxation in their respective communities. Ours operates off event revenue and business support.

Certainly there is room for improvement. I’ve spoken with Mike Short and Peggy Lyle from the DBA, and they take criticism seriously. This is one of their signature events. They plan to address the lines and wait times to make it a better experience.

Technology has made it so easy to air your dissatisfaction with airlines, restaurants, hotels and events. Our mobile devices allow us to post critiques and praise in real time, often visible to a large audience. It often seems that the good news is overshadowed by the bad, and that’s what catches attention. Ask any politician who made a slip of the tongue how quickly that mistake can travel.

If you really want to make this and other events the DBA produces better, I’d encourage you to join me as a volunteer. It’s more fun than posting on social media.

Jim Clark is executive director of Visit Fort Collins. Reach him at jclark@ftcollins.com.